Banks prepare for government shutdown

Preparing for default on the federal debt, the Navy Federal Credit Union said this week it would advance pay to direct-deposit members who are active-duty military or civilian employees of the Defense Department.

Navy Federal Credit Union, the largest in the country, said this week it would advance pay to direct-deposit members who are active-duty military or civilian employees of the Defense Department. It also said it would expedite approvals for lines of credit, overdraft programs and higher credit card limits.

A spokesman for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which oversees nationally chartered banks, said it is considering guidelines that would encourage financial institutions to work with their customers if checks are delayed, particularly in the case of overdraft or penalty fees.

And while the nation’s three largest consumer banks – Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo – have not yet announced plans for customers in the event of a shutdown, joint guidance from the nation’s banking regulators will likely be issued within the next few days, federal officials said.

The Treasury Department has said that unless lawmakers agree to a plan by Tuesday to increase the the amount of debt the government can take on, the country could risk being unable to pay all of its bills. That could result in a partial government shutdown and the delay of Social Security and other checks, creating havoc with family budgets.

Government payments that could be affected include not only Social Security and federal employees salaries, but also military pay and food subsidies for low-income families.

“Every bank is doing things their own way to take care of their customers,” said Richard Hunt, president of the Consumer Bankers Association, a trade group. “Obviously, they hope this deal is done quickly.”

But the institutions must walk a fine line between alarming consumers and creating contingency plans, analysts said.

“There’s no sense creating more to the drama before it actually occurs,” said Paul Merski, executive vice president of the Independent Community Bankers of America, a trade group.

As attempts to find a compromise on the debt ceiling repeatedly broke down this week, financial institutions began putting their customers on notice.

“Hard-working government employees and Social Security recipients shouldn’t suffer because our lawmakers in Washington can’t come to an agreement on spending,” said Sonya McDonald, senior vice president of market development for Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union in Texas.

The credit union said it will provide those members with a one-time credit with no interest or fees so long as they had enrolled in direct deposit. It said it would contact members who may be affected by any shutdown.

The move by Navy Federal Credit Union generated messages of gratitude on its Facebook page.

“Praying the idiots who messed everything up in the first place fix this so we don’t have to worry,” one woman wrote. “Thank you for caring.”